WHEN it comes to the Bathurst 1000 Craig Lowndes has the sort of resume other drivers can only dream of, yet this Sunday at Mount Panorama he will still be chasing milestones.
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Lowndes has made more appearances on the Bathurst 1000 podium - 14 - than any other driver and only the late Peter Brock has more Great Race wins to his credit.
When Lowndes notched up win number seven last year he and co-driver Steve Richards did so in a race record time of six hours, one minute and 44 seconds.
He has has gone from pole position, found success in both a Ford and Holden, won the inaugural Peter Brock Trophy and is one of the few men who can boast three consecutive Bathurst wins.
Another of those who have the rare hat-trick - Jamie Whincup - is the man Lowndes will co-drive for this year.
Should the duo win not only will it hand Lowndes a victory in his first attempt as a co-driver, but he and Whincup will become the first pairing to have conquered the Mount together four times.
"We've got great history, when we got the three-peat the category itself made a ruling that we weren't allowed to drive together anymore and I had to retire to get the band back together," he laughed.
"I think the combination between Jamie and I, he's more the high-strung stressed person and I'm more the relaxed one, so hopefully I can bring a bit of calmness to him.
"I'm looking forward to the challenge of a co-driver and supporting Jamie, because this, as a co-driver now, is one of the biggest moments of the year."
While Lowndes says he does not feel additional pressure as a co-driver attempting to help Red Bull Holden Racing star and good friend Whincup improve his championship standing, when it comes to his desire to succeed it is as strong as ever.
"For me I'm more relaxed. I'm not worried about qualifying, I'm not worried about finishing the race because that will be Jamie's role," he said.
"For me the only pressure is not making a mistake, but that's no different if you're a main driver or a co-driver. I'm really looking forward to my role, helping and embracing the team and Jamie.
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"It's matter of staying out of trouble during the week as well as the race itself, I've just got to hand the car back in a good position in a good way and let him do his job.
"But this one is the one we want to win, the 1000."
Lowndes got a chance to steer the #888 Commodore at Ipswich last Monday during a test day and was able to see firsthand how the package has evolved over the last 12 months.
The work on the set up will continue at Mount Panorama, and Lowndes makes no secret of the fact he hopes they will have both speed in the race and during qualifying. He wants his car to start from number one on the grid come Sunday morning.
"There's nothing as gratifying as a driver to be able to stand on the podium at the end of the day, but to be on pole position to start the race and lead the field away will be really special," he said.
